


grass is greener

by bisousniall



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Football | Soccer, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-14
Updated: 2013-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-14 22:05:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/841884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisousniall/pseuds/bisousniall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall and Louis play for opposing football teams, but somehow they still come together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	grass is greener

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hidingasalastresort](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hidingasalastresort/gifts).



> I never thought I would write a fic with Louis as the main character, but that's how much I love Mariana. Happy Birthday babe!
> 
> Big thanks to Caitlin for reading this and teasing me for writing 3500 words about Louis.

Louis woke up an hour early on game days for a run. There weren’t a lot of constants in Louis’ life, but football was one of them. Early morning run, big breakfast, and a small lunch because he could never play a game on a full stomach. He got all queasy and one time threw up on the sidelines and the coach made him sit out for the rest of the game. That was one of the worst days of Louis’ life. 

Him and his two mates, Liam and Harry, played on the same local team and they all wore their football jerseys to school on game days. Just another part of the routine. Louis would never fuck with it because although he had never been an overly superstitious guy, the routine seemed to work. Their team, The Three Horseshoes, were second place in the league, and only a couple points behind their biggest rival, Balby Academy. If they beat Balby that day, they would pull into the lead.

Louis was easily distracted on a regular school day, but that day all he could think about was the cocky captain of Balby Academy, number 9. Horan. Louis knew most players had a game face, and he had been told several times by Liam and Harry that he looked rather smarmy and full of himself on the field too, but this Horan kid really took the cake. Louis had never seen him without his self-assured grin while he swaggered around the field like he owned the fucking place. It just rubbed Louis the wrong way. It would be his first time seeing Horan since the end of the last football season.

When Louis arrived at the field after school with Liam and Harry, Horan was already there with his two cronies, number 13 Malik and number 5 Devine. He almost didn’t recognize Horan at first. He had dyed his hair blond, and his scrawny body was now sinewy with new muscle. But his cocky smile, that was the exact same. Louis ignored the other boys on the field and started doing his warm-up on the opposite end.

Horan was on his ass the entire game. Everywhere he turned, there was a flash of blond hair, and his _fucking smile_ , all white teeth and taunting. By the end of the game, Louis felt like he hadn’t even participated at all. Spent the whole game running himself ragged, trying to get away from Horan, but unlike in previous years, Louis could no longer outrun him. The Horseshoes still won, 4-3, but Louis was pissed and disappointed. He brushed off Liam and Harry when they went to joke around with him in the changeroom, and opted to, instead, stand under the shower and internally beat himself up over the game. 

By the time he finished showering and cleaning off his cleats, the entire field and parking lot was deserted. At least it seemed like it was. Louis was trying to find his keys in his messy gym bag when he was startled by a loud voice behind him.

“Tommo?” 

Louis fumbled with his keys, almost dropping them in his attempt to turn around and face whoever was talking to him.

Of course, it was fucking number 9, Horan.

“Hello?” Horan said again.

“It’s Tomlinson actually.Tommo is a team nickname.” _So don’t fucking call me Tommo_ , he thought to himself.

“I’m Niall,” Horan said. Or Niall, whatever. Louis was slightly confused as to why the boy was introducing himself, and a bit ashamed when he realized this would be their fourth year playing against each other, and he didn’t know Horan’s first name. Or that he was Irish, actually. He had heard him yelling before, but he had always tried to ignore his voice.

“Louis then, I guess. If we’re going for first names.”

Niall smiled, but this time it wasn’t the same cocksure smirk Louis saw on the field. It was big, his whole face seemed to light up with it, and earnest.

“I just wanted to congratulate you guys on an awesome win, you blokes definitely deserve it. Very hard workers, you lot.”

“I didn’t have much to do with that, did I? Couldn’t really get the chance with you riding me up and down the field.”

Niall threw his head back and full on cackled, was really the only word for it. Louis was a bit taken aback by his outburst.

Niall cocked his eyebrow as he said, “You gave it back pretty good, mate.”

“You’ve definitely gotten better over the summer, have you been hitting up the gym?”

Niall laughed again, as if everything Louis said was fucking hilarious. “Nah, man, this is all good genes.” He lifted his arm and pretended to flex his bicep. Louis couldn’t help but chuckle, and kind of wanted to punch himself in the face. Fifteen minutes earlier he was in the shower cursing Horan out, and now he was in the parking lot, practically flirting with the boy. At least he assumed Niall was flirting with him, he had slowly moved closer and closer to Louis, his hips swaying as he spoke. Louis looked around the empty parking lot.

“Are you waiting for a ride or something?”

“Nah, usually walk to the bus stop from here.”

“Well, I can give you a ride, this is my car y’know.”

“You sure? It’s like 20 minutes out of town.”

“Wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure.”

Niall didn’t need to be told twice, he practically skipped over to the passenger side of the car.

“This is great, man, thanks. I hate the bus. Are you hungry? I’m starvin’, always so hungry after a game.”

“Yeah, I think I could eat.”

 

So that’s how Louis ends up at a McDonalds with his once biggest rival, slowly eating his chips, and watching in shock and awe as Niall eats enough for probably three people.

“Where do you put it all?” 

“Put all of what?” Niall asks through a mouthful of Quarter Pounder. 

“All the food you’re consuming, where does it go? You haven’t an extra pound of fat on you, but these chips are gonna go straight to my arse.”

“Think you’ve got quite a nice arse, to be fair.”

_That was definitely flirting_ , and something was _definitely_ going on.

“Niall, can I ask you something?”

“Mmmm?” Niall hummed through his mouthful of burger.

“Why did you talk to me? Why today, I just don’t really understand it.”

“I just thought about how we’ve kind of known each other for almost 4 years, and we didn’t even really know each other, and we’re both going to be graduating this year, and maybe we won’t even see each other anymore after this season. I’m not one to let a potential friend to slip through my grasp.” He took another big bite of his second burger.

“You assume I’m a potential friend?”

“Everyone is a potential friend.”

Later, when Louis was dropping Niall off at his house, they exchanged phone numbers. Louis thought about texting Niall all evening, and all day at school the day after. Eventually Niall made the decision for them and as Louis was leaving school with Harry and Liam, he got a text from the other lad. 

_wana hang out 2morrow night? lmk_

He almost laughed out loud at Niall’s ridiculous spelling, but Harry and especially Liam were nosy and he just was not ready or willing to admit that he was fraternizing with the captain of their biggest rivals. Instead, he typed out a hasty reply.

_I can pick you up at 4_

“Hey, who’re you texting?” Liam, of course, asked. 

“Absolutely none of your business, Liam Payne.” Louis quickly closed his phone and put it away before either of his friends had a chance to try and snatch it from him.

“Are you keeping secrets from us, Tommo?” Harry questioned, in that slow, perpetually bemused way 

“Is it that girl from last weekend, what was her name again?”

“Eleanor.” Of course Harry would remember her name.

“Not Eleanor. Just, um, my mum.”

Louis was thankful when the two boys just dropped it, and they moved on to discussing the football game the day before. 

“That Horan kid was all over you yesterday, hey Louis?” Liam said.

“Yeah, what a fuckin’ pain in my arse he is.”

Harry and Liam laughed while Louis swallowed down the feeling of how awkward it was to talk about Niall like that now that he actually knew him.

 

When Louis got home, his mum was already getting ready to leave for her night shift at the hospital.

“Don’t forget you need to watch the girls tomorrow night, too. I’m on night shift again, love.” His mum kissed him on the forehead as she rushed past him with a handful of his younger sister’s laundry. _Shit,_ he thought to himself. Niall. He opened his phone to send him another text.

_my mum just reminded me, i’m supposed to be watching my baby sisters tomorrow night :(_

About a minute later he got a reply.

_dont mind hanging out with your sisters, i love kids :)_

_we can watch a movie or something after they go to bed?_

_sounds perfect ! ;)_

That night and through school the next day, Louis was distracted. Liam and Harry noticed, of course, but Louis brushed them off with some easy excuses. "Just tired, and thinking a bit too hard about the next game," he explained casually. He wasn't ready to explain Niall to his friends yet. They had only hung out once, and it had been really nice and Louis just didn't want to complicate it. It wasn’t even really a _thing_ yet. Just hanging out with a nice lad, maybe it wouldn’t even go anywhere. Louis wasn’t even sure he wanted it to go anywhere. 

Although when he pulled up to Niall’s house at 4 that afternoon and watched as Niall walked down the sidewalk to the car, big grin stretching across his face, Louis felt his stomach flip. _Butterflies_ , his brain supplied. Louis tried to suppress the feeling. He didn’t want “butterflies” he just wanted to hang out with Niall in a completely platonic way. As lads. Just lads. _Lads, lads, lads_ , he repeated over and over in his head.

“Hey Louis.” 

_Fuck._

 

A few hours later, after they had finished putting all of Louis’ younger sisters to bed, the two of them flopped down on the couch in front of the TV.

“I can’t believe you thought your sisters wouldn’t like me.”

“Nah mate,” Louis said, shaking his head. “Was worried they’d like you too much.” Louis had been right to worry about it. His sisters liked most everyone, but they _really_ latched onto Niall. He had only been over about half an hour and the girls were all over him. Daisy hadn’t let go of him once, and Felicite was determined to show him every single toy that she owned. 

“Think Daisy fancies you a little bit, to be honest.”

Niall blushed, his cheeks going even redder than usual and ducked his head. Niall embarrassed was a sight Louis was beginning to love seeing.

“So you wanna watch a movie?” Niall quickly changed the subject.

“Yeah, you pick.”

Niall grinned, his face still red from Louis’ earlier comment, and slid onto the floor to look at the shelf of DVDs.

“You have Grease? Sick!”

“You like Grease?”

“Love it! Can we watch it?”

 

Louis and Niall fell in even more after that. Louis would often bring Niall back to his house (where Daisy continued to hang off him like a dirty shirt, Louis suspected he was right about her crush) and they would watch movies or mess around, watch dumb YouTube videos or show each other music they were in to. A few times Louis even picked Niall up from football practice, Niall’s skin still glistening from sweat, his blond hair stuck to his forehead and Louis’ brain had to chant _just friends just friends_ over and over so he would remember to keep his hands to himself. He also found himself having to make up excuses to Liam and Harry more often. Usually that he had a lot of revising (although he could see the confusion in his friends’ eyes, Louis was never one to take school work seriously) or that he had to watch the girls (which was often true, it’s just that Niall was there with him) while his mum was at work.

 

It was a just any other Monday afternoon, except not really. Louis and Niall were lying on Louis’ bed, both of them supposed to be doing school work, but really paying more attention to their phones and each other. Louis was feeling a bit nervous because the next time they’d be seeing each other would be on Wednesday when their teams played each other again. He wasn’t sure how well he’d be able to pretend he didn’t know Niall in front of his teammates. What if Niall came up to him and started to talk to him? None of his teammates knew he was friends with Niall. 

“Can I ask you something, Louis?”

“Course, Nialler. Go ahead.”

“What do you want to do when you graduate?”

“Was thinking of working for a year, then going to school to teach English. My mum has to support me and the girls, y’know. She doesn’t really have the money to pay for college or anything. And she still needs me around to help take care of my sisters.” 

Louis wasn’t really sure where that came from. It’s like he opened his mouth and everything he had been thinking since he started his final year at high school started coming out of his mouth. He met Niall’s eyes and knew it was alright, though. It was nice telling these things to Niall because he didn’t have any expectations of him. Liam and Harry expected him to be funny and loud. His mum would be disappointed if she knew he was taking a year off to help with money and taking care of the girls rather than of his own volition. But Niall, he had no expectations. He laughed when Louis was funny, and he discussed matters very seriously if that’s what was needed from him.

“Did you ever think of pursuing football professionally?”

Louis would be lying if he said the thought never crossed his mind. “Yeah, but I’m pretty sure I’m not good enough to make a career of it or anything.”

Niall shrugged. “I think you are.”

“Thanks, Nialler.” Louis reached out and grabbed Niall’s shoulder, a smile on his face. Niall, however, was not smiling. He was looking quite seriously at Louis’ face, like he was inspecting it. His eyes, his nose, then over his lips for a long time. Louis felt Niall move under his hand, which was still resting on his shoulder. Niall reached out and cupped a hand behind Louis’ neck.

“Niall?”

“Just lemme try something.”

Niall pulled Louis in quickly, pushing their lips together. Louis felt like he was ready for it yet not really expecting it to actually happen, and he let out a little hum of surprise as their lips met. Louis’ hand slid from Niall’s shoulder onto his back. Niall’s lips were warm and surprisingly soft for how often Louis caught him worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, and his mouth tasted of the fruity gum he was chewing earlier. He could feel Niall trying to encourage him to open his mouth and when Niall’s tongue touched Louis’ lips briefly he was shocked back into the present. Louis grasped the back of Niall’s shirt to pull him away from the kiss. Niall pulled back immediately but his eyes looked confused and dazed, but widened when he realized what had happened. He pulled his hand away from Louis’ neck quickly.

“Louis, fuck I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t be sorry.”

“I thought you were into me, I thought you were into the kiss I feel so _stupid_.”

“Niall stop, I was. Into it. The kiss, I mean.”

“I’m not sure...why did you stop, then?”

Louis dropped his head to watch his hands fidget around his lap restlessly. “I mean, we’ve got that game on Wednesday. And Harry and Liam don’t even know we’ve been hanging out together yet.”

“So? Josh and Zayn know about us hanging out, they’re fine with it.”

“You’re still on my rival team, though.” Louis knew as soon as the words left his mouth that it was the wrong thing to say.

“This is about fucking football?”

“Well, not really but-”

“You just told me you weren’t even thinking about doing it professionally, and who would even care if you were dating a member of an opposing team?” Niall’s voice was slowly rising and Louis wished he could go back to one minute ago, when they were kissing and everything was so nice. Before Louis ruined it.

“But my friends-”

“I just can’t believe you’re putting a stupid football team and some opinions that won’t even matter in a couple years ahead of me. Ahead of a possible relationship. _Fuck_ , I’ve been like some dirty secret to you, then?”

“No, you’re not.”

“I just. I think I better go. You’re not who I thought you were.” Louis recoiled at that. Felt it like Niall had punched the words into his gut. Niall packed up his things quietly and left Louis’ room.

 

Louis was dreading the Wednesday game even more after the fight with Niall. His friends noticed his poor mood and once again, he lied. Said it was nerves for the game, which wasn’t a total lie. The morning of the game, during Louis’ run all he could think about was Niall. Niall’s gut wrenching _disappointment_ in him, and it was so true that disappointment was worse than anger. Louis forced himself to eat breakfast, knew he would need the energy for the game despite the fact that he didn’t feel like eating at all. Harry and Liam were in high spirits that day and he tried to let that encourage his mood but it didn’t really work. He just kept replaying Niall’s words in his head and feeling more pathetic about it. 

When Louis arrived at the field with Liam and Harry, Niall was already there with Zayn and Josh. Niall didn’t even look up him, but Josh and Zayn both glared daggers and Louis knew Niall must have told them what happened.

“Jesus, they look out for blood today.” Liam muttered. 

The game was rough, and messy. It was raining off and on all day, and the field was basically a mud pit. Both teams were pulling no stops, and multiple yellow card warnings had been given. Louis was scratched up, bruised and caked in mud, and that was just by the second half. The Three Horseshoes were losing. This time Zayn was on his ass the whole game, and he was not afraid to play dirty, often with his elbows out. Louis was mentally and physically drained, and constantly watching for that flash of blond hair on the field.

“You’ve got to put your head in the game, you’re looking distracted out there, Tommo,” their coach pulled him aside to tell him. Louis nodded. He knew he was definitely not playing his best, and his team was down two points because of it. 

The second half was better, but not good enough. The Horseshoes scored twice to tie up the game, but in the last minute, Niall scored. His team cheered and crowded him with hugs and sloppy kisses to his cheeks, but Niall didn’t even smile. They played the last few seconds out of regulation, but Louis knew that was it. The game was done, and the Horseshoes had lost. The whistle blew and Balby burst into cheers. Louis searched out Niall, and finally found him, standing still and staring, not even celebrating his win and Louis knew suddenly that he had to fix this. Niall turned to walk towards where the rest of his team was celebrating and Louis chased after him.

“Niall!” he shouted, but he just kept walking away. Louis finally caught up with Niall and grabbed his arm to get his attention. 

“Louis, what are you doing?”

“I want this. This. Us. I want you.”

“For real?”

Louis was tired of talking, so he grabbed Niall by the front of his jersey until their lips met, cold from the rain and salty from sweat. Niall wrapped his arms around Louis’ neck and pulled him in tighter, their kiss slick and slippery and imperfect but wonderful, really. Louis could hear whistling and some cheers, but couldn’t tell who was doing it, nor did he care because Niall’s hands were playing with the hair at his neck and his mouth was sweet and hot. And really, who gave a fuck about football, anyways?


End file.
